BVU’s Attendance at Bristol Veterinary School Careers Fair

Recently two of our representatives, Amelia & Laura, attended Bristol Veterinary School’s careers fair on behalf of the BVU. They spoke to students in their final few years of study, explaining what the Union does, what support we offer for students and workers, & how to get involved. 

What we can offer

One area of support we offer to both students & new graduates (vet & vet nursing)  is navigating the intricate world of veterinary workplace contracts. Whether going into a specific graduate scheme or not, the terms and conditions of contracts can be lengthy & difficult to decipher, particularly if this is your first time signing one! We want to help our members understand what the clauses mean that they are signing, whilst also giving them confidence & tips on how to negotiate to ensure they are signing a contract they are happy with. After all, a contract is the single most important thing that influences how you work, & not being happy with it can lead to issues down the line!

As a Trade Union, we are committed to improving working conditions within the veterinary industry as a whole. We hope that by reaching out to students before they enter veterinary employment, & making them aware of the Union and support available, they will be empowered to tackle workplace issues in the future & know they are not alone. 

How are we trying to improve conditions for students

As part of our mission to improve working conditions and support students, we have launched our EMS campaign where we have a vision for fairer EMS for the future, which does not burden students financially or put them at risk of harm. The careers fair was a great opportunity to hear about the students’ own experiences on their EMS placements & what working conditions they witnessed of the staff they were working with. 

Thank you & our next careers fair

Overall, it was great to be at the Bristol Veterinary School’s careers fair and to spread awareness of the Union to another cohort of students! We would like to thank all who attended & spoke to us & Bristol Veterinary School for hosting us.

The BVU will also be at the Liverpool Vet School careers fair later this month, where we look forward to meeting more students and answering any questions they might have about the Union. 

Further queries or to get involved

If you are a student (either Veterinary or Veterinary Nursing) & wish to become involved in the union or have any queries in regards to joining, please send us an email & one of our volunteers will reply to you within 5 working days.

If you are already a student member & would like to become a BVU student representative, click here  & read through the position’s description & then if you feel you would be a good fit, fill out the application form.

May 2023